Girls Aloud Pictures, News, Gossip & Rumours - AskMen AskMen Messages You have no messages Notifications You have no notifications Girls Aloud Girls Aloud Girls Aloud was formed as part of the British reality TV show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002, and set records as the first all-girl group to debut at number one in the United Kingdom, and as the fastest group to hit number one after forming. Appeal Although critics might decry Girls Aloud's recent escapade into provocative fashions, there's no doubt that it has cranked up the girls' sexiness. With cleavage on display and midriffs exposed, the girls -- especially Kimberley, Cheryl and Sarah -- leave little to the imagination. Yet Girls Aloud's flesh display can only take their appeal so far. For example, Nicola, at 17, remains jailbait, while the emotional and intellectual immaturity of her compatriots might be a turnoff for some. The group is sexy, but for the most part no more so than the thousands of other twenty-something club-hopping hotties out there. Success Girls Aloud has certainly come a long way in a hurry.

Auditioning for Popstars: The Rivals, each girl made the cut from over 10,000 hopefuls, and then managed to hang on as other contestants were voted off by the audience. Once together as a band, they beat out male rivals One True Voice in record time for the top spot on the UK singles chart in December 2002. This was unprecedented -- but whether it is simply the result of marketing hype remains to be seen. As you would expect, Girls Aloud are very popular in the UK. For instance, when Nadine celebrated her 18th birthday this May, she was mobbed by crowds of admirers in her hometown of Derry, Ireland. Right now Girls Aloud is a hit -- apparently, even with Princes William and Harry. But fame in England may not cross the Atlantic. On the other side of the pond, we have our own bevy of prefabricated pop crooners to contend with. Girls Aloud Biography Girls Aloud consists of Nadine Elizabeth Louise Coyle, Cheryl Ann Tweedy, Sarah Nicole Harding, Nicola Roberts, and Kimberley Jane Walsh. All five girls belong to large families from different parts of the British Isles.

introducing: the girls Nadine was born June 15, 1985, in Derry, Northern Ireland, attended Thornhill College, and has two sisters. Cheryl was born June 30, 1983, in Newcastle, England. She went to Walker Comprehensive School and has three brothers and a sister. Sarah, born November 17, 1981, in Ascot, was schooled in Surrey and Manchester, and has one brother. A native of Stanford, Nicola was born on October 5, 1985, attended St. Chad's school in Runcorn, and has two brothers and one sister. Finally, Kimberley, born in Bradford on November 20, 1981, was raised and schooled there along with her brother and two sisters. The girls appear to have had traditional upbringings. Cheryl, Sarah, Nicola, and Kimberley all worked as waitresses or barmaids; Kimberley also had experience as a drama teacher. Only Nicola and Sarah have been members of other bands, although these were unsuccessful. But each girl dreamed of singing professionally.

opportunity popped up In 2002, Popstars, a reality TV series format used around the world to recruit young pop singers, was gearing up for its second series on the United Kingdom's ITV1. In this incarnation, dubbed Popstars: The Rivals, two bands -- one of girls, one of boys -- would be formed by audience votes, and the two groups would battle each other for the top Christmas single for that year. When the new Popstars show was announced, Cheryl, Nadine, Sarah, Nicola, and Kimberley were among the 10,000 to audition. Judges cut that number to 120, then 30, and finally 20 -- after which the audience chose the winning five. On November 30, the boy band, One True Voice, and Girls Aloud were formed. On December 16, Girls Aloud released their single "Sound of the Underground/Stay Another Day." The single reached number one, selling 213,000 copies and setting records as the fastest debut to hit number one. the many sides of fame After their debut, the girls took time off to visit their families.

They were back in early 2003 to record their first album, Sound of the Underground. Girls Aloud were scheduled to go on tour with One True Voice in March, but the tour was canceled due to poor ticket sales. Girls Aloud manager Louis Walsh blamed their counterparts. "Being associated with One True Voice was not doing them any favors," he said. Nevertheless, Girls Aloud began touring on their own later in the spring, and released a new single, "No Good Advice," as well as their album Sound of the Underground, in May. Both debuted at number two on the British charts. "Life Got Cold," a track from the album, will be released as a single in mid-August. But Girls Aloud's meteoric rise hasn't been without its difficult moments. On Christmas Day 2002, Girls Aloud's road manager John McMahon was killed when he crashed the Girls Aloud van into a telephone pole. Then, in January 2003, Cheryl allegedly assaulted 39-year-old toilet attendant and part-time law student, Sophie Amogbokpa, at a nightclub. Her case is still in court.

Meanwhile, One True Voice accused the girls of faking their singing on Sound of the Underground, adding a sour note to their (admittedly staged) rivalry. Despite these setbacks, the girls are carrying on. Cheryl, for one, has found love in an unexpected place: with bandmate Kimberley's brother, Adam. "We just clicked," she confessed, "and everything's going great." Show comments Girls Aloud Profile and Biography Updated October 21, 2015. Girls Aloud Come Together On TV Girls Aloud, one of the UK's most successful pop music groups, was officially formed at the climax of the UK TV show Popstars: The Rivals November 30, 2002. It was the second round of the popular television series, and the rivals were a girl band and a boy band. Girls Aloud, the girl band, was formed by winnowing down an original set of 10 female finalists to the 5 who formed the group. They competed with the show's boy band, One True Voice, for top Christmas single . Girls Aloud's "Sound of the Underground" won that competition and the girls were on their way.

Girls Aloud Group Members Sarah Harding Sound Of the Underground 5 months after Girls Aloud topped the pop singles chart with the song "Sound of the Underground," they released an album with the same name. Sound of the Underground debuted at #2 on the UK album chart in late May, 2003. continue reading below our video Highest Paid Female Actors Ever It would go on to produce 2 more top 3 singles, and then, in a re-issued format, it included the group's 4th top 3 single, a remake of the Pointer Sisters' "Jump." Girls Aloud Top 10 Pop Hits In the UK 2002 - "Sound of the Underground" #1 2003 - "No Good Advice" #2 2003 - "Life Got Cold" #3 2003 - "Jump" #2 2009 - "The Loving Kind" #10 2012 - "Something New" #2 What Will the Neighbours Say? Girls Aloud did not waste much time in releasing a second album, What Will the Neighbours Say? in 2004.

In September, 2004, with "Love Machine's" #2 debut, Girls Aloud became the first girl group with 6 consecutive top 3 singles since Spice Girls . The new album included 5 songs co-written by group members. Critical reception was mostly positive, and Girls Aloud were nominated for a Brit Award for Best British Group. Chemistry Chemistry, Girls Aloud's 3rd album, appeared in late 2005. It only reached #11 on the album chart, but it still generated 4 more top 10 singles for the group. UK Pop Superstars Girls Aloud proved their status as one of the top pop groups in the UK with the release of their greatest hits collection The Sound of Girls Aloud. Although none of the group's studio albums reached the top of the album chart, the greatest hits collection, full of their single hits, entered the chart at the peak in early November, 2006. The group released "I Think We're Alone Now" by the end of the year and hit #4. Girls Aloud collaborated with Sugababes on a remake of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" that became a 2007 official Comic Relief Single.

By the end of the summer the group's next album was out and it included the big top 3 hit single "Call the Shots." In early 2008 Girls Aloud were nominated for a Brit Award as Best British Group for a second time. Girls Aloud's fifth studio album Out of Control appeared in October 2008. It included the chart-topping hit single "The Promise." They were nominated in 2009 for Best British Group and Best British Single for "The Promise." They took home the Best British Single Award, their first victory ever at the Brits. In April 2009 the group announced that Cheryl Cole would take time off from the group to record solo material. She had become a star on her own through participation on X Factor as a judge and release of her own solo hit singles. She sat on the X Factor judging panel with Simon Cowell . Her departure would put projects by the group as a whole on hold. Reunion and Split In 2012, Girls Aloud announced a reunion for their 10th anniversary. They released the single "Something New" in November 2012 as the official charity single for Children In Need.

It was the group's highest charting single in four years reaching #2. Their second greatest hits album Ten was released in late November. A TV documentary Girls Aloud: Ten Years At the Top was broadcast in December 2012. After touring early in 2013, Girls Aloud announced their breakup on March 20, 2013. Record-Breakers and Trivia - everyHit.com Back To The 'Records & Trivia' Index Best-Selling Artist Cliff Richard has sold more singles than any other artist (21.0 million). The Beatles are the top group (20.8 million). Top female artist is Madonna (15.2 million). Only five other acts have sold more than 10 million singles. They are Elvis Presley (20.0 million), Elton John (13.8 million), Michael Jackson (11.5 million), Queen (10.4 million) and Abba (10 million). Best-selling all female group is The Spice Girls (7.5 million).

Most Top 40 Hits Cliff Richard has been credited on 124 Top 40 hits (up to, and including, "Singing The Blues"; Sep 2009). This excludes re-entries too! The record for most Top 40 hits by a female is held by Madonna with 66 (the most recent being "Celebration"; Sep 2009). Diana Ross trails with 57 (as of Dec 2005; Madonna caught up with Diana in July 2003 and overtook her in Nov 2003). In addition, Diana Ross has nine uncredited Top 40 hits with the Supremes and Madonna has one with Nick Kamen. The Shadows (often paired with Cliff) are the leading group with 56 (62 when their 6 hits as The Drifters are included.) Status Quo are the group in second place with 55 Top 40 hits (as of Nov 2005).

Most Weeks Spent on The Top 40 1060 by Elvis Presley (last there w/e 15th Dec 2007 with the re-issue of "Burning Love") Top female artist is Madonna with 510 weeks (last there with "Celebration" : w/e 3rd Oct 2009) (and another 9 uncredited weeks on the Nick Kamen's 1986 hit "Each Time You Break My Heart") The Shadows are the leading group with 587 weeks inside the Top 40 (including hits with Cliff Richard). Longest Span of Hits Overall, the most durable artist is Elvis Presley on 51 years, 7 months 6 days [2692 weeks] ("Heartbreak Hotel", w/e 12th May 1956 to the re-issue of "Burning Love" w/e 15th Dec 2007). Cliff Richard trails very narrowly behind (and stands a very good chance of overtaking this record).

From "Move It" (w/e 12th Sep 1958") to "Singing The Blues" (w/e 26th Sep 2009) is a stretch of 51 years, 0 months and 14 days [2663 weeks]. From her first hit ("Banana Boat Song", w/e 15th Feb 1957) to her latest ("The Living Tree", w/e 5th May 2007), Shirley Bassey's chart career has spanned 50 years, 2 months and 18 days [2620 weeks]. She, became the first artist to have a career of hits spanning more than 50 years and has the longest span of (a) original hits (ie. not re-releases) and (b) hits whilst still alive.

The record for longest span of hits by a group is for The Shadows from "Travellin' Light" (9th Oct 1959) to "Singin The Blues" (26th Sep 2009); a period of 49 years, 11 months and 17 days [2607 weeks]. This is all the more impressive if the date of their first hit together ("Move It", 12 Sep 1958) is used, although they were, at the time, known as The Drifters. This gives the aforementioned stretch of 51 years, 0 months and 14 days [2663 weeks] (as Cliff's backing group). By making the Top 40 in Sep 2009, The Drifters broke a long-standing record which had been held by Perez 'Prez' Prado & His Orchestra (40 years, 3 months 12 days) [2103 weeks] (from "Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White" in Mar 1955 to the departure of "Guaglione" in July 1995).

Longest Continuous Run in The Top 40 by an Artist 135 weeks by Elvis Presley. From July 1960 ("A Mess Of Blues") until Feb 1963 (when "Return To Sender" left the chart) - a total of 12 hits. Most Top 40 Hits in One Year 19 - by Michael Jackson (as of w/e 8th July 2006). These were part of a commemorative sequence of releases. Furthermore, two other singles of 2006 sampled him: "Say Say Say" by Hi-Tack and "Somebody's Watching Me" by Beatfreakz (which sampled Jackson's vocal contribution to Rockwell's 1984 hit of the same title). The record for most new Top 40 hits in one year is 12; held jointly by Elvis Presley (in 1957) and The Wedding Present (1992). Most Simultaneous Top 40 Hits 13 - by Michael Jackson.

The week after he died (the chart w/e 11th July 2009), he held positions 2, 10, 12, 13, 19, 25, 26, 32, 33, 34, 35, 38, 40 with "Man In The Mirror", "Billie Jean", "Thriller", "Smooth Criminal", "Beat It", "Black Or White", "Dirty Diana", "They Don't Care About Us", "Earth Song", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "You Are Not Alone", "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough", "Bad". Prior to this, the record had been 7 simultaneous Top 40 hits... by Elvis Presley (on two occasions in Nov 1957). This feat is still worthy of note as (a) he was still alive and (b) only a Top 30 listing was produced at that time. On week ending 2nd Nov 1957, Elvis held positions no.

4, 12, 16, 20, 21, 24, 26 with "Party", "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear", "All Shook Up", "Trying To Get To You"), "Got A Lot O' Livin' To Do", "Loving You", and "Paralysed." The folowing week he held positions 2, 15, 17, 20, 23, 25, 30 with "Party", "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear", "Got A Lot O' Livin' To Do", "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", "Trying To Get To You", "All Shook Up", "Loving You", and "Paralysed." Most Top 10 Hits Elvis Presley has had most Top 10 hits (76 as of May 2005). Cliff Richard follows with 67 (most recent in Sep 2008).

Madonna overtook Paul McCartney in Nov 2005, and has now attained 60 hits (including those with Britney Spears / Justin Timberlake) (as of Oct 2009); the most by any female artist. McCartney has had 53 (28 with the Beatles, 14 solo, 10 with Wings, 1 with Ferry Aid). No other artists have had 50 or more Top 10 hits. Most Consecutive Top 10 Hits Here, an artist must reach the Top 10 with every consecutive release. Re-entries are ignored; they can neither add to the tally nor be responsible for breaking a 'run'. Madonna holds this record with 34 (from "Like A Virgin" in 1984 to "Secret" in 1994. The run was broken by "Take A Bow" which peaked at no. 16). Top male artist is Cliff Richard with 23 (from "A Voice In The Wilderness" in 1960 to "The Minute You're Gone" in 1965. Run broken by "On My Word" which peaked at no. 12).

Two groups fare well in this respect; Westlife have 23 consecutive Top 10 hits Westlife (from "Swear It Again" in 1999 to "Us Against The World" in Mar 2008) and Oasis have the same total (from "Live Forever" in 1994 to "The Shock Of The Lightning" in 2008). However, the latter's run is over as "I'm Outta Time" stalled at number 12. There is was an argument (from Beatles and Abba fans) that Oasis' run is broken after the fifth Top 10 hit ("Roll With It") by "Wibbling Rivalry: A Lot Of Swearing And Cussing / Even More Swearing And Cussing" - the release, by Creation Records, of an argument between the Gallagher brothers after a Radio One interview. It peaked at no. 52 in Nov 1995. But, for contractual reasons Creation released this under the name "Oas*s" (omitting the "i"), unintentionally protecting Oasis' unbroken chart run!

Furthermore, a technical issue (related to the maximum number of formats of a release) led to a 12" single version of "Some Might Say" peaking separately at no. 71 a week after the main single topped the chart. Common consensus is that this should not be deemed to break the run of hits. The Beatles and Abba each have 18 consecutive Top 10 hits. (Beatles from "A Hard Day's Night" 1964 to "Yesterday" in 1976, broken by "Back In The USSR" which stalled at no. 19. Abba from "S.O.S." in 1975 to "One Of Us" in 1981, broken by "Head Over Heels" which peaked at no. 25). Top all-girl group is Girls Aloud with 20 consecutive Top 10 hits (from "Sound Of The Underground" in 2002 to "The Loving Kind" in Jan 2009). Both Westlife and Girls Aloud have, in fact, had tracks peak outside the Top 40 which, were we to include them, would break their consecutive Top 10 runs.

But the tracks responsible for this were never declared as singles, merely album tracks which charted due to the popularity of their individual downloads. Most Simultaneous Top 10 Hits 4 - by Frankie Laine. For three weeks in 1953 (31st Oct - 14th Nov) Frankie had four singles in the Top 10. They were "Hey Joe", "Answer Me", "Where The Winds Blow", and "I Believe." Most Hits Without Making The Top 10 Two artists have had 19 Top 40 hits without managing to reach the Top 10. AC/DC's nearest miss was in 1988 when "Heatseeker" made no. 12. The Super Furry Animal's best effort was "Northern Lites"; no. 11 in 1999 (as of Sep 2005). Least successful Top 40 Acts Of course, thousands of artists never make the Top 40 at all. Any entry into the chart is an achievement. But the least successful chart acts will be those who have spent a sole week at Number 40... and nothing else... ever! They are listed below.

Artists marked * have experienced success outside the Top 40 with another title. Artists which are greyed out have had more success with another single but they share the credit with a 'least successful' artist. Year Record-Breakers and Trivia - everyHit.com Back To The 'Records & Trivia' Index Most Number 1s This, possibly the most important record, is held by Elvis Presley. He has had 21 chart-toppers, 18 of them different songs (three titles have topped the chart on two distinctly separate chart runs as part of the series of re-issues to commemorate what would have been Elvis' 70th birthday in 2005). You can see how this record has 'changed hands' over the years here . The Beatles are the top group with 17 number 1s. Madonna is the top woman with 13 (as of April 2008). Top female group is The Spice Girls with 9. Only seven acts in chart history have got into double figures with their tally of chart-toppers.

They are: Elvis Presley (21, 18 different songs), The Beatles (17), Cliff Richard (14 : six of them with The Shadows, one with The Drifters, one with The Young Ones), Westlife (14 : one of them with Mariah Carey), Madonna (13), The Shadows (11 : six of them with Cliff Richard, two of these also with The Norrie Paramor Strings) and Take That (11: one featuring Lulu). Westlife hold the record for getting into double-figures in the shortest time (2 years and 10 months [ie. 149 weeks] - more than 3 months quicker than The Beatles (who took 165 weeks). Unlike Westlife, however, The Beatles tended to spend several weeks at the summit, slowing down their release rate.) It is worth pointing out that Paul McCartney has appeared on more Number 1s than any other artist under a diverse range of credits.

He has, in fact, appeared on 24 Number 1s; solo (1), with Wings (1), Stevie Wonder, The Christians et al (1), Ferry Aid (1), Band Aid (1), Band Aid 20 (1) and The Beatles (17). In total, twenty-one artists have appeared on ten or more number one singles. They are: Paul McCartney (24), Elvis Presley (21), John Lennon (20), George Harrison (18), Ringo Starr (16), Cliff Richard (15), Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan (14), Robbie Williams, Madonna (13), Gary Barlow, Brian McFadden (12), Mel C , Geri Halliwell (11), Mel B, Emma Bunton, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen (10). Artist with Most Weeks at Number 1 It's Elvis Presley. He has topped the chart for a total of 80 weeks (as of w/e 5th Feb 2005). Top group is The Beatles (69 weeks).

Top female performer is Madonna (29 weeks - as of w/e 17th May 2008). In his many different manifestations, however, Paul McCartney has spent 93 weeks at the top. Most Consecutive Number 1s 7 - by The Beatles and Westlife. The Beatles' stretch began with "A Hard Day's Night" in 1964 and lasted to "Yellow Submarine"/"Eleanor Rigby" in 1966. The run was broken when "Penny Lane"/"Strawberry Fields Forever" merely made the number 2 position the following year! Westlife's stint began with their debut, "Swear it Again" in 1999 and ran through to "My Love" in November 2000 (though one hit was a 'duet' with Mariah Carey). It was broken by "What Makes A Man" which peaked at number 2 the following month. Beatles fans are, however, quick to point out that "Ain't She Sweet" (which made number 29 in 1964) was recorded in 1961, well before their EMI contract.

It was issued by Polydor to 'cash in' on the success of the fab four. Fans argue that this was not an "official" Beatles release. If this logic is accepted (though the track did make the charts), The Beatles run of successive number ones begins with "From Me To You" in April 1963 - making a total of 11. Top female group is The Spice Girls (6 in a row from "Wannabe" through to "Too Much"). Longest Span of Number 1 Singles 47 years, 6 months and 23 days. Held by Elvis Presley. His first number 1 was "All Shook Up" in 1957 (w/e 13th June). His most recent chart-topper was the re-issue of "It's Now Or Never" in 2005 (w/e 5th Feb). Runner up is Cliff Richard. His first chart-topper was "Living Doll" in 1959. His latest was "The Millennium Prayer" in 1999, a span of 40, 4 months and 15 days. (+ 21 days for total span).

Longest span for a female artist with solo credit is Madonna on 20 Years, 7 Months, 1 Day (from "Into The Groove", 3rd Aug 1985 to "Sorry", 4th March 2006 - ie. a total span of 1074 weeks). [NB: if we include "4 Minutes" - which also credited Justin Timberlake, the span runs through to 10th May 2008 (22 years, 9 Months, 13 Days) but then this record is broken by Cher - see below.] Kyie Minogue is still both popular and productive and, on 15 Years, 9 Months, and 23 Days (ie. 825 weeks from "I Should Be So Lucky", 23rd Jan 1988 to "Slow"; 15th Nov 2003), regularly poses a threat to Madonna in this regard. If we allow 'credits' on singles rather than solo performances, Cher easily takes the record.

Her duet with Sony, "I Got You Babe" (Aug 1965) to "Believe" (Oct-Dec 1998) gives a total span of 33 years, 3 months, and 14 days [ie. 1738 weeks]. Also worthy of a mention is Tammy Wynette. Her single "Stand By Your Man" made no. 1 in 1975. She was a guest vocalist on the 'various artists' single "Perfect Day" which topped the chart in 1997-8 (22 Years, 7 Months, 24 Days - ie. 1183 weeks). Diana Ross, though not individually credited, provided vocals on the Supremes 1964 chart-topper "Baby Love". She most recently had a solo no. 1 with "Chain Reaction" in 1986 (21 Years, 4 Months, 1 Day - or 1114 weeks - total span).

First Artist To Enter At Number 1 Al Martino's "Here In My Heart" was the track to Top the first ever chart (Nov 1952) so, technically, this was the first track to debut at Number 1. But ignoring this, the first artist to enter at Number 1 in the established chart was Elvis Presley ("Jailhouse Rock", Jan 1958). First Artist To Enter At Number 1 With Consecutive Releases Slade. In 1973 they debuted at the top with both "Cum On Feel The Noize" and "Skweeze Me Pleeze Me." Fastest Hat-Trick of Number 1s A one-a-week series of re-issued Elvis Presley singles in 2005 enabled him to have three different chart-toppers in just four weeks; ("Jailhouse Rock" w/e 15th Jan; "One Night" / "I Got Stung" w/e 22nd Jan; "It's Now Or Never" w/e 5th Feb). The record for the fastest hat-trick of non re-issued number ones is held by John Lennon.

Following his death in December 1980, there was an almost frenzied buying of his singles. This resulted in him topping the chart no fewer than three times within an 8 week period ["(Just Like) Starting Over" w/e 20th Dec 1980; "Imagine" (a re-entry but nevertheless, not a re-issue, w/e 10th Jan 1981; "Woman" w/e 7th Feb 1981.] First Artist To Enter At Number 1 With A Hat-Trick of Consecutive Releases Take That. In fact, from July 1993 to April 1994, all four of their single releases went straight in at No.1 ("Pray", "Relight My Fire" [featuring Lulu], "Babe", "Everything Changes"). The band repeated this feat in the period from Oct 1994 to March 1996. Most Entries at Number 1 From May 1999 to November 2006, Westlife entered the chart at No. 1 on 14 occasions.

First Entry At Number 1 By A Debuting Act Excluding Al Martino, who was No. 1 in the first ever chart, Billy Preston was the first artist to enter at No. 1 with a debut single. To be fair, he performed the song ("Get Back," 1969) with The Beatles and so, quite literally, can't claim the entire credit for this feat. The Band Aid charity ensemble made its debut at No. 1 ("Do They Know It's Christmas?", 1984) but this comprised a number of already successful artistes. The first act to make its chart debut at No. 1 on its own 'merit' was the Danish vocalist Whigfield (1994). Her song "Saturday Night" (with its associated dance) had been huge on the continent for some months and the demand from Brits returning home built up an enormous head of steam prior to its release. First British act to debut at No. 1 was Robson & Jerome ("Unchained Melody" / "White Cliffs Of Dover", 1995). First solo male to debut at No.

1 was Babylon Zoo (a name used by British vocalist/multi-instrumentalist, Jas Mann) with "Spaceman" (1996). First British female act to make her debut at No. 1 was Billie ("Because We Want To", 1998). First all-girl group to make their chart debut at No. 1 was the Irish quartet B*Witched (with "C'est La Vie") in 1998. First British all-girl group to make its debut at No. 1 was Girls Aloud ("Sound Of The Underground", 2002). Most Entries at Number 1 by a Debuting Act On 11 Nov 2000, Westlife became the first act to have their first seven singles enter the chart at Number 1 as "My Love" crashed in at the top spot. First Act To Reach Number 1 With Their First Three Releases Gerry And The Pacemakers. Their debut single, "How Do You Do It?" was released in March 1963. After five weeks it made number 1.

It was followed later that year by "I Like It" and "You'll Never Walk Alone" (both topped the charts four weeks after first appearing in the Top 40). This feat was not matched until 21 years later when Frankie Goes To Hollwood took each of their first three singles to the top (1984).

Self-Replacement At Number One On nine occasions in history, one title by an act has knocked another hit, by the same act, off the number one spot: Ray Conniff and his Orchestra (Jan 1957) "Just Walking In The Rain" replaced by "Singing The Blues." Norrie Paramor and the string section of his orchestra (Mar 1963) - "The Wayward Wind" was replaced by "Summer Holiday." The Shadows (Aug 1960) "Please Don't Tease" knocked off the top spot by "Apache." The Shadows (Jan 1963) "The Next Time" / "Bachelor Boy" replaced by "Dance On!" The Shadows (Mar 1963) "Summer Holiday" replaced by "Foot Tapper." The Shadows (Apr 1963) "Foot Tapper" replaced by "Summer Holiday." The Beatles (Dec 1963) "She Loves You" replaced by "I Want To Hold Your Hand." John Lennon (Feb 1981) "Imagine" replaced by "Woman." Elvis Presley (Jan 2005) "Jailhouse Rock" replaced by "One Night"

 / "I Got Stung." NB: Full credits: -"Just Walking In The Rain" - Johnnie Ray, Ray Conniff and his Orchestra / "Singing The Blues" - Guy Mitchell, Ray Conniff and his Orchestra.

- "The Wayward Wind" - Frank Ifield, with Norrie Paramor and his Orchestra / "Summer Holiday" - Cliff Richard, The Shadows and the Norrie Paramor Strings. - "Please Don't Tease", "The Next Time" / "Bachelor Boy" and "Summer Holiday" were credited to Cliff Richard and The Shadows. Longest Gap Between Number 1s 31 years 0 months - for George Harrison. "My Sweet Lord" first made the top spot in Jan 1971. A few weeks after his death, it returned to number 1 (Jan 2002). In second place is the artist who also holds the record for the longest gap between number 1s with different tracks and the record for longest gap between number 1s within the lifetime of the artist; Leo Sayer. In Feb 1977 he hit the top with "When I Need You". He didn't return until Feb 2006 (a day shy of 29 years gap) - with "Thunder In My Heart Again" (a remix of his 1977 hit, as 'Meck featuring Leo Sayer').

The longest run between original number 1s (i.e not a re-release/remix) is 18 years and 3 months for Blondie (Nov 1980, "The Tide is High", to Feb 1999, "Maria"). Biggest run for a female artist is 14 years 6 months by Diana Ross - from the prophetic "I'm Still Waiting" (Sep 1971) til "Chain Reaction" (Mar 1986). Special mention must be made here of Stevie Winwood. Though not specifically credited, he hit number 1 with The Spencer Davis Group ("Somebody Help Me") in Apr 1966. A barren period then followed before a sample of his solo hit "Valerie" formed the basis of Eric Prydz's chart-topper "Call On Me" in Sep 2004; an hiatus of 38 years and 5 months between appearances, albeit uncredited, at number 1. Longest Time For An Artist To Get To Number 1 34 Years, 10 Months, and 2 Days; Tony Christie.

His first single, "Las Vegas", entered the Top 40 on w/e 16th Jan 1971, peaking at no. 21. His single from November of that year, "(Is This The Way To) Amarillo" was used in 2005 by comedian Peter Kaye in various TV performances, ultimately leading to a re-release in aid of Comic Relief. That catapulted the track back into the chart - at no. 1 - on w/e 26th Mar 2005. This broke the record set over 18 years previously by Jackie Wilson. His "Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl In Town)" topped the chart in Dec 1986; 29 Years, 1 Month, and 11 Days after it first entered the chart. The longest time for a female soloist to take to reach Number 1 is 25 Years, 8 Months and 15 Days for Cher [from her first solo hit, "All I Really Want To Do", 19th Aug 1965 to "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)", 4th May 1991].

She had, though, previously topped the chart as half of Sonny and Cher before going solo. In terms of contributing to a Number 1: Ozzy Osbourne holds the male record. He first hit the Top 40 as a member of Black Sabbath with "Paranoid" on w/e 12th Sep 1970. 33 years, 3 months and 8 days later (w/e 20th Dec 2003; a total of 1736 weeks) he achieved the top spot with "Changes" (a duet with daughter Kelly - and a version of a Black Sabbath album track from 1972). The previous record holder was Eric Clapton. He first hit the chart as a member of the Yardbirds in 1965 ("For Your Love", w/e 20th Mar 1965) but did not form part of a chart-topping combo until hit collaboration with Cher (her again!), Chrissie Hynde and Neneh Cherry ("Love Can Build A Bridge", w/e 25 Mar 1995); 30 years, 0 months and 5 days [1567 weeks].

Lulu holds the female record. Her first Top 40 hit was "Shout" (w/e 16th May 1964). She finally hit the top spot with Take That ("Relight My Fire", 9th Oct, 1993); 29 Years, 4 Months and 23 Days. Posthumous Number 1s A morbid one - but one about which, nonetheless, we receive constant emails. Artists which have topped the chart following their death are: Artist The 11 Best UK Girl Groups Of The Past 25 Years: From Spice Girls To Sugababes | Idolator The 11 Best UK Girl Groups Of The Past 25 Years: From Spice Girls To Sugababes Sam Lansky | October 17, 2012 - 5:30 am Share < br />this article: British boy bands are on the rise, with groups like One Direction and The Wanted making a monster impact on the US charts, but what about the ladies?

Just as our neighbors across the pond have produced an inordinate share of the best boy band pop of the last few decades , so have they contributed some absolutely showstopping girl groups, from the iconically well-known ( Spice Girls ) to the relatively obscure — on these shores, at least (Atomic Kitten, anyone?). With Brits carving out a bigger space than ever in the US charts, we’re taking a look back at the finest girl groups that the UK has had to offer from the last 25 years, and the hits that make them still compulsively listenable. 11. Mis-Teeq: An urban girl group whose smartly produced R&B made them a chart sensation in the UK, Mis-Teeq had a minor US hit in 2004 with “Scandalous” (featured, memorably, in the critically reviled box office bomb Catwoman) before their label went bankrupt. But with seven consecutive Top 10 hits in the their home country and production from Stargate — who went on to create Rihanna ’s signature sound with songs like “What’s My Name?” — Mis-Teeq’s garage-inflected chart pop is remembered fondly. 10.

B*Witched: Best remembered in the US as a bubblegum pop novelty act for their 1998 hit “C’est La Vie,” the Irish (not British, but they were a hit there!) girl group B*Witched only released two albums, which spawned four consecutive UK #1 singles. But, the members enjoyed unexpected career longevity in a handful of other ways: singer Edele Lynch wrote songs for Girls Aloud and Sugababes , and later re-teamed up with her sister Keavy to create the dance duo Barbarellas, who released an album in 2011. 9. Atomic Kitten: With a string of UK #1 hits, teen pop trio Atomic Kitten’s US impact was minimal. But when they were good, they were really good. Formed around the millennium in the midst of the post-Spice Girls girl group renaissance, Atomic Kitten went through a handful of line-up changes.

However, their output remained consistent: their cover of Blondie ’s “The Tide Is High” went to #1 (and just missed the Top 40 in the US), as did the skittering mid-tempo single “Whole Again,” which is one of the sweetest, loveliest pop offerings from the early ’00s. 8. Eternal: The girl group who were largely considered the UK’s answer to the US R&B phenomena En Vogue and TLC , Eternal’s four studio albums earned them a string of radio smashes in their native UK, as well as the US Top 20 hit “Stay” back in 1993. Their smooth, sultry stylings made such an impression that Monica — then one of the hottest stars in the States — covered their single “Angel Of Mine” for her album The Boy Is Mine. 7. The Saturdays: Upon their debut in 2008, The Saturdays were initially perceived as an off-brand iteration of the UK’s reigning queens Girls Aloud, since — like Aloud — The Saturdays were a five-piece girl group who sang chic, club-ready dance-pop.

But over the last half-decade, they’ve carved out a real niche as the originators of consistently high-quality radio pop that wasn’t quite as cluttered as Girl Aloud’s overstuffed style. Occasionally — like with their debut single “If This Is Love” — they’re even brilliant. A US launch reportedly in the works, meaning The Saturdays may be the newest girl group to storm American shores. 6. All Saints: The hipper, sulkier counterpart to the Spice Girls’ hyperactive euphoria, All Saints had a big late-’90s hit in the US with “Never Ever.” Alas, they were relegated to stateside one-hit-wonder status after their successive UK smashes failed to perform, even as their music got better and better. That said, the quartet’s 2006 LP Studio 1 is one of the sharpest, grimiest pop records of the last decade, and that spoken-word intro to “Never Ever” — which went to #1 in the UK and earned them a Brit Award — remains one of the best moments of ’90s girl group mania. 5.

Bananarama: The girl group that dominated the ’80s and early ’90s with their ebullient dance-pop, Bananarama paved the way for acts like the Spice Girls to take the reins years later. Their songs like the much-covered global hit “Venus,” the iconic “Cruel Summer” and the US Top 10 hit “I Heard a Rumour” made them a household name. And although they’ve undergone line-up changes (and have since gone from trio to duo), they’re still on their grind: their 2009 album Viva was a mix of covers and original material, turning out the dance single “Love Comes,” and Bananarama just wrapped their first US tour in decades. 3 – 4.

Sugababes/Mutya Keisha Siobhan: Originally created in 1998 as the brainchild of three teenage girls — Siobhan Donaghy , Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan — the Sugababes made an instant splash with their innovative hit “Overload.” Over the following decade, they went through so many Destiny’s Child -esque line-up changes that by 2010, the group no longer featured any of its original members (each having been replaced, over time, by Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen, respectively). Sugababes were at their best in their second iteration (after Donaghy left and was replaced by Range), but the original girls have reunited under the name Mutya Keisha Siobhan (with tracks courtesy of Emeli Sande , no less). Both groups — the original ‘babes and their 2.0 version — deserve a space on this list for their sleek R&B-pop and effortlessly cool attitude. Sugababes 1.0/Mutya Keisha Siobhan: Sugababes 2.0 2.

Girls Aloud: Founded on the inauspiciously titled Pop Stars: The Rivals TV show back in 2002, Girls Aloud became the most cutting-edge girl group in British history as a result of their risk-taking, inventiveness and close collaboration with the critically acclaimed production troupe Xenomania. (They’re also the Most Successful Reality TV Group in history, according to the Guinness World Records.) The quintet reunited this year for an upcoming greatest hits collection (the lead single from that compilation, “Something New,” dropped this week). The Cheryl Cole -featuring band’s impact can be heard in the current dance sound that dominates the charts on both sides of the pond, which Girls Aloud were doing even when R&B dominated the airwaves. Their sweet, retro single “The Promise” topped the UK chart and earned them their first Brit Award in 2009 for Best British Single. While they’ve never cracked the US, Girls Aloud also never bothered trying. Why would they? They’re a quintessentially British treasure. 1.

Spice Girls: The Spice Girls are the best-selling girl group of all time, and the most successful British band since The Beatles — and their music remains some of the most searingly brilliant pop ever created. Like, ever. The global smash “Wannabe” remains their best-known hit (it did, after all, go to #1 in 30 countries), though it’s the group’s legacy that lives on, both via the Girl Power movement that’s cemented in the cultural consciousness, and the fact that they ushered in the teen-pop tsunami that dominated the late ’90s and early millennium. Spice Girls’ most memorable smashes like “Say You’ll Be There,” “2 Become 1″ and “Spice Up Your Life” are the stuff of pop legend. In the space of only three albums, they managed to inarguably redefine what pop meant to the world. Do you agree with the rankings our list of the Top 11 UK girl groups, or did we leave off your favorite? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter !

Question: Which all-girl group had a hit with 'Sound Of The Underground' in 2003?
Answer: 'GIRLS ALOUD'